


Marked Graves

by trashyvoid



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fan Art, Fanart, Gen, Illustrations, Implied Reaper76, implied jewish jack morrison, platonic ana76
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-13 17:02:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11189490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashyvoid/pseuds/trashyvoid
Summary: After Ana had agreed to help Jack in his personal war, she let him stay with her at her hideout; Necropolis. Even though she has reconciled with one of her greatest friends, she still struggles with the past and a greater shadow lurking near her.





	1. City of Old Soldiers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ana comforts Jack as he gives up an old possession.

Like any other night, Ana Amari sat atop the central building of Necropolis with her mug of tea as she kept a watchful eye on the laptop in front of her. She took a sip of her tea, her thoughts strayed for a moment to the glory days. The fun she had with her two best friends, and her only daughter Fareeha, felt like a travelling memory to her. It would feel close and heartwarming, but then so far and distant she could barely make out when it was. With all that she had done, what she had been through and what she could do… She could be laying in a hammock in the tropics, enjoying the welcoming sun and tweet of birds. Instead, she was not far from Giza-- The thought of the harsh Middle Eastern sun left a sting on her mind as she remembered it would be rising in a few hours. She loathed how quickly it could look like noon when it could just be 6 AM, but Egypt was her home. The old captain fought to serve and protect her country, to bring justice and peace. On the wider scale, the Middle East in general was of course still important to her. It’s past and present meant a lot, especially in regards to the foreign governments which still try to intervene in politics.

 

But now her mind wandered too far, she shook her head and sipped her tea once more. The bitterness of the black tea is what kept her awake, but she’s grown accustomed to it after so long. Soon, she noticed a figure that stumbled in the middle of the plaza. Without hesitation, she ducked down and took one more sip of her tea before she set it down beside her and hurried down the stairs. She didn’t skip a beat in grabbing the sleeping dart near her mattress, and pointed it to the groggy man at the entrance. It was just Jack. She breathed an annoyed sigh of relief and lowered the gun.

 

“You almost gave me a heart attack.” She gently tossed the gun on the table nearby and fixed the scarf on her shoulders so that it was covering her hair. “What’s wrong, Jack?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” He muttered.

“I’m sorry?” Ana moved closer, to hear him better.

“I couldn’t sleep.” He repeated as he balled one hand into a fist. The vigilante reeked of a strange smell, but when she figured it out she sighed and put her arms around him.

“You need to stop torturing yourself like this, Jack.” She patted his back. “Come, you need to sit.”

“I don’t want to sit,” His voice was rough, but he gently pushed her away. He pulled up a photo that he held in his other hand and held it out for her to take. “I want to stop looking at this.”

 

Ana’s heart tore into pieces as she laid her eye on the photo. Back when they were young, the golden trio of Overwatch all in one photo together as if nothing wrong had ever come between them. She took the worn out photo and frowned, it was now that the golden days felt like such a distant memory. No longer could she place the photo, but one day she hoped to.

 

“You can’t let go of the past,” Her eye never left the photo. She looked at her younger self, the site of her with two eyes was painful, yet still bearable. “But you can’t change it either.”

“I know, Ana, I’m just…” He rubbed his face, took a deep breath and continued, “I don’t want to see him.”

“Jack…” She sighed. “How long have you held onto this?”

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “Just take it.”

 

She held the token fondly to her heart, though it was a distant memory she remembered when the photo was taken. Just after Overwatch was officially founded, after Jack had been crowned the Strike-Commander, Ana pulled up her phone. She remembered how excited she was, how she asked her brothers to come in for the photo and how they huddled together. They took several that day, many goofy ones but the one, serious photo of them stuck the most. They had become the most important people in the world, responsible for putting a halt to a world-wide crisis. Yes, “those were the good ol’ days”, as Jack would put it frequently. They were good, but they were indeed ancient at this point. No matter how much they ran from the past or tried to investigate it, the whole world thought they were gone for good.

 

“I know it’s hard,” She began. “I’ve been at this far longer than you have.” Her eye looked at the photo once more. “I can’t say it gets easy or it get’s better, but I know one day we’ll find justice.”

“...” The two outcasts stood in silence, one waited for the other to speak up and continue but the event never came. Jack didn’t want to continue the conversation, so he turned around. He didn’t want to do anything anymore, so all he said was “Goodnight.”

“Oh, no you’re not.” Ana grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. “I’m not letting you drink the night away until you pass out again.” She lead him by the arm as he groaned like a stubborn child, up the stairs and sat him onto her mattress. He could have broken free, but he didn’t. The old sniper laid the photo next to the other framed pictures of her back in her youth then sat next to Jack.

“Fine,” He mumbled. “I’ll stay with you.”

 

The scene settled in silence once more, Ana rested her head on Jack’s shoulder as they sat together. The old man folded his arms as he rested his eyes. He never spoke about it, though he appreciated Ana’s efforts to keep him grounded. Soon, he rested his head on hers and took a deep breath.

 

“Why can’t you just use the sleep dart on me?” He muttered.

“Oh, you big baby,” She chuckled. “Now you’re just running from your problems.”

“Haven’t I always done that?” Jack joked, though his voice kept flat.

 

The two closed their eyes after light conversation, soon the fell asleep on each other. Each drifted into their slumber by the other’s side, they had their own mixed thoughts and confusing dreams. Just like in the crisis, they were there for each other. There was only a few people missing that at least Ana hoped to see again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!!! i really love ana amari if you couldn't tell and i felt like not many people in the fandom actually recognize her as an ARAB woman... i myself am arab, thought it would be nice to talk about some stuff regarding the middle east.  
> NOTE:[ Please reblog the art on tumblr to help support me and this fic!!](http://trashyvoid.tumblr.com/post/161778284254/marked-graves-a-fanfic-about-ana-amari-and-jack)  
> special shoutout to my buddy zira who got me the screencaps i needed of necropolis.  
> also, yes . jack and gabe were once in love. i hc jack as a gay trans man, ana and gabe are both bi.


	2. The Better Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ana and Jack dress up as civilians and go about their day.

Today, they decided that they should go into the city for a few supplies. Jack let Ana do all the talking, it was her turf after all. The great thing about being a masked vigilante is that it was easier to pass as a civilian: nobody knew who you were when you took the mask off,. Both of them used makeup to cover anything unwanted, like Jack’s scars or Ana’s tattoo. As civilians, they presented like a normal couple though they didn’t walk with their arms linked or holding hands, which made it easier on both of them. Ana remembered the old days of explaining customs in her country, how the duo would ask curious questions and make genuinely shocked remarks like ‘Wait, not even hand holding?’ or ‘Not even water?!’ Part of her was grateful that public displays of affection weren’t encouraged, especially at a time like this where she had to pretend Jack was her husband and the sight of people in love was still so sensitive to her. It was true, she missed her husband--the only romantic company she had as of late was Jack, but it was a fake facade for public presence.

 

The two often joked about it, how Ana would tell people that Jack is her new husband and that he was a recent convert learning Arabic. His Arabic pronunciation wasn’t all too bad, but she still had many comments about his grammar. At least he could say ‘marhaba’ or ‘as-aalaam-alaikum.’ On good days where they were allowed to joke, they would have a go at trying to say things the other knew. Sometimes Ana would try something in Hebrew, then Jack in Arabic. It was good fun, though it was a shame it only lasted for a short while. For now, they stayed alert and used their connections to the best of their abilities.

 

Whenever they left, Zayed would look over Necropolis to make sure nobody messed with their set up. He was an ex-Overwatch agent, who took up the job of guarding Necropolis, and owed many favors to Captain Amari. Of course, he was shocked to see both of the iconic figures still alive--but who can say no to ghosts? He owed most of his time to Captain Amari after she saved him from a hostage situation years ago. To many, Ana Amari was a symbol of hope and strength in the Middle East. This woman was an inspiration and a legend, even in her youth as a teenager. Zayed found a light in her motivation; the only thing left for him was to return the favor and protect her as she once did him. So he stayed, and would sometimes watch from her rooftop spot eyeing the laptop and the telescope when they left for supplies. Other times, he would be in his guard tower.

 

While they were in town, Ana prompted Jack to visit a photography studio, just to buy a frame for the photo he gave her a few nights before. It was still a nice, sentimental picture that Ana wouldn’t dare lose. Jack rolled his eyes at the notion since it was already worn out from being kept folded in his back pockets at all times. Secretly, he was heartbroken. The fact that she wanted to keep those happy memories was respectable and admirable, for he knew he didn’t have the same strength as she did. Though he was gifted physically, emotionally he relied on good ol’ liquid luck to get him to fall asleep or deal with the pain of being human. He tried to appreciate the outing while he was still sober, at least. That much she could appreciate.

 

“Habibi, look at this frame.” She said as she picked out a small, wooden frame with a carved decal. “Isn’t it lovely?”

“Yes, _dear_ , but we shouldn’t spend so much time on frames.” He folded his arms, like the grumpy old man he was.

“Ok, ok… But do you think we should just get a simple frame, or this one?” Ana asked, just to be sure. Deep down, she knew he wanted it framed as well.

“I think a simple one really shows off it’s age.” Jack finally commented after he sighed. Ana grinned and patted his cheek as she picked out a simple black frame for the photo.

 

After they bought the frame, the next thing on their list was groceries. They were on a mostly vegetarian diet, since vegetables were easier to prepare and cheaper than getting meat. On the better days, Zayed might bring them chicken shawarmas. They mostly had kushari or something with fish and rice. Jack sort of grew tired of lentils at this point but he knew he couldn’t complain about it. When they went into hiding, they knew it wasn’t going to be luxury--they were soldiers. They knew what they signed up for.

 

They shopped at the open-air market place. Ana was a big fan of supporting local farmers and also finding good prices for things--especially groceries. She mostly spoke in Arabic, Jack had no idea what she said most of the time but sometimes she’d laugh and pat his shoulder. That was probably the best indicator that she referred to him as her new husband, so he’d smile and nodded to pretend for a moment he was romantically involved with his best friend. He pretended for a moment he wasn’t Jack Morrison, that he was Joseph Moore and she was Amira Al Mansouri. He grew used to it. She grew used to it. It was their life now, but at least they were fighting the good fight.

 

Finally, they got back to the Necropolis. Zayed perked up and quickly got to the ground in order to come face-to-face with his former idol and the ex-soldier once more.

 

“Were you followed?” He asked, worried.

“For the last time,” Jack groaned. “Nobody followed us.”  
“Oh, stay calm you old crow.” Ana teased, then spoke calmly as she smiled to Zayed. “I made sure nobody was following, I promise.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m always stationed at the front,” Zayed said. “Just call if you need anything, Captain.”

“You don’t have to call me Captain, it’s ok.” She reassured him.

“Yes, ma’am.” Zayed saluted, showing his great respect to mostly Ana. “Have a good day, Cap-- Ms. Amari...” He paused, almost as if he was trying to remember something he forgot…Oh. “And--And, um, Mr. Morrison.”

“76 to you, young man.” Jack frowned. The boy was too formal for his own good, but he left after a small apology.

“Hey,” Ana nudged him. “Lighten up a little, you bear.”

“Was that not happy enough?” He asked, but she just laughed and patted his cheek again before she left with the groceries to the kitchen.

 

This might be one of those better days Ana frequently thought about. It was calm, she got to go out into town with her friend and finally frame a memento from the even better days. Today was a good day after all…now to hope the night would be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had so much fun being able to write in arabic this chapter...  
> jack is jewish and ana is muslim in this fic, jsyk! also, even though it's never implied or mentioned, jack is a trans man. thanks so much to my friend clark for beta reading!


	3. Sleepless Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old soldiers often have trouble sleeping... Most of the time, they feel heavy guilts or burdens on their shoulders.

An old soldier never slept soundly. They had past troubles which gave them current troubles, especially during times they were meant to feel most safe. That is to say, the old Captain still woke up in a cold sweat, panting as if she had just escaped a monster and near tears when she remembered she had a slim chance of seeing her family again. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged her legs as she recovered from the terror. Amélie Lacroix was such an innocent young woman, with a promising career in ballet. Ana couldn’t have killed her, especially not after the loss of the ballerina’s husband… Yet she stayed there, her weeps so silent you could barely tell she was awake. There wasn’t a way for this to have gone; she either killed Amélie and regretted it or she let her live but still regret it. As a committed soldier, she stayed on the task and she knew the consequences of her actions that would be brought down on her.

 

The two snipers were similar, at least Ana thought so. Many people thought the two women were dead and that they were an inspiration in their careers. But the harsh reality was that they are fighting a secret war, never to see their families again for their secret lives and current circumstances forbade it. Sometimes, she wondered how was Amélie doing? Was she really a terrible cold beast as they made her to be? The sniper took a deep breath. It was a terrible thought, she couldn’t run from the past but how was she to confront it? She stood up and put her hijab on loosely as she wore her blanket as a cape. Time to visit an old friend.

 

Slowly, she crept up the stairs of the building and leaned on the stone frames as she watched Jack hunched over and ruminating. He looked too solemn to interact with currently, she contemplated whether or not she should go up to him. There wasn’t a point to bother him, she knew he tried to keep his mind busy by anything other than human interaction. Yet she remembered when they were young, he made terrible, corny jokes all the time with his close friends. Ana decided to keep him company anyway placed a gentle hand on his back to comfort him.

 

“You should be sleeping.” The old man said.

“You should be keeping an eye out on the city.” She replied, then sat cross legged on the ground. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“...” Jack sighed and looked at her with his tired eyes. “Are you ok, Ana?”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” she smiled. “I think the real question is, are you?”

“I keep thinking about the photo you framed.” He admitted. “I keep thinking about him and all the fun we had at one point.” His eyes fell to his feet, ashamed that he still thought of a man he once loved. He mumbled, “Never wanted the damn job, anyway…”

“Do you remember what I said, Jack?” Ana eyed the laptop, since Jack was preoccupied with his feelings.

“Can’t let go of the past, but I can’t run from it either.” He repeated what she had once said to him. “He chose his stance, though, Ana. I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“I never said anything was your fault.” Her eye darted to him, she was almost offended by the notion.

“...” He stayed silent and closed his eyes hard. At the moment, he wasn’t willing to reveal more about his feelings.

“You can’t keep blaming yourself,” Ana finally stood up. “Other people are involved in this too.” She took a deep breath and took a moment to collect herself. “It isn’t just you and Gabriel... Good night, Jack.” And with those final words, she left Jack alone once more. It was too late at night to have this discussion, neither of them truly wanted to deal with the reality of it.

 

The hologram of her daughter as a young girl lit up once more as she took a look at her again. Her darling girl was a grownup by now, she knew what she was up to and she didn’t know whether to fear or be proud. Fareeha was a brave young woman, who followed in the steps of her iconic mother. She couldn’t shake the feeling that if Fareeha found out how she lived now, she would lose her like how Jack and Gabriel lost each other. Ana thought back to the letter she wrote to Fareeha, though she still hadn’t sent it. There wasn’t a proper time to send it, how could she find the strength to do it anyway? She sighed and closed her eyes while she clutched the blanket, hoping to get some rest.

 

The old soldier still drowned himself in his thoughts on the roof. Now, he idly stared at the laptop screen instead of just his feet. Jack didn’t want to keep pushing her away, though he found it necessary. He hadn’t a clue of the pain that was being inflicted on both of them, as he mostly avoided his feelings with alcohol or violence. He could have just gone down and grabbed a bottle, though he could disturb the sleepless sniper in the process. Jack shook his head, he knew better not to drown himself like this. Both of them suffered, they knew they couldn’t see their loved ones to the best of their extent.

 

The two fallen icons stayed awake. Tired and alone, though at least they had each other. Despite their differences, there was that. They thought about what was said and what was done, it was important for the two of them to carry on with their current plan of action. Even though Jack said he didn’t want to see him anymore, it carried a far deeper meaning than that...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drawing all of these illustrations killed me ill be real  
> Also, i wish more people talked about how guilty Ana feels :¬(


	4. Watchful Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out, this is one of the better days Ana and Jack were able to spend together. But, as it turns out, that's too good to be true.

 

 

It wasn’t unusual for Ana to wake up and find that Jack had stayed up all night as he stared at the screen. He kept such a close eye on his former partner, so she was naturally worried about his mental health. Of course, everyone had always asked Jack whether or not he was ok. _Mr. Jack Morrison, are you ok? Strike-Commander Morrison, I hope you’re well._ He lied each time, Ana knew that much. Nobody asked much about her, though. Why? She was Ana Amari, a playful woman who could be serious at the drop of her beret. Nobody thought much about how she felt, the only exceptions were of course her best friends-- Jack and Gabriel. They were mostly like brothers, she would sometimes refer to them as her boys.

 

But that was over. They were older and far more distant than ever before.

 

“Well, good morning, sunshine,” she said as she rubbed her eye, her hijab was put on loosely so it was almost falling off the top of her head. She fixed the blue scarf and went to fix some tea.

“Hey,” he said, tired blue eyes never leaving the screen.

“So energetic, I see.” Ana joked as she put the kettle on, the leaves would brew inside as it heated up.

“What’s under that mask?” He asked, and Ana immediately felt her heart drop to the floor.

“It’s best if you don’t find out.” She sat uncomfortably, a shiver sent down while she remembered his face.

“Fair enough.” Jack commented and that was as far as socializing went for the day.

 

It was a heavy question, maybe he didn’t understand. What she had seen back there wasn’t Gabriel… But it still was. He had become a man of death and destruction, his visage truly represented so. She remembered his smoking apparel, those gloomy eyes that didn’t say he was dead. His eyes were the eyes of a pained, tortured soul. He _wanted_ to be dead, but not the dead he was now. Gabriel was not a monster, nor a beast. She knew that, she could see that. Her eye almost watered by the thought of his appearance once more. Gabriel’s bright, shining smile was no more. His charismatic eyes turned to dread and sorrow, Ana couldn’t bare what had happened to him… But what _did_ happen to him? She shook her head and focused on the tea. Today, she decided to make red tea. She hadn’t had that in a long time and maybe Jack would appreciate it.

 

After she wiped her eye, she poured the tea into two cups. One for her, one for Jack. She knew he wasn’t a fan of sweet things, so she left his as it was. More honey and milk for her, then. She set her cup on the side and took Jack’s to bring it to him. Her gentle hand touched his back and he jerked out of surprise for a moment.

 

“You need this,” she said as she passed the cup.

“I’m fine.” Yet he took it anyway and took a sip. There was no comment on the bitterness of it, his eyes still never left the screen. She sighed and went back to her place on the floor cushion.

“Do you want a date?” She took a sweetened date and ate it. Jack only mumbled, so she shrugged and took another.

“We need to get supplies soon,” he said.

“What?” That was curious. “But we’d just gone into the city recently.”

“No, I meant from a watchpoint,” he clarified.

“What for, Jack?” Ana sipped her tea. “The nearest watchpoint is Watchpoint: Kharaga, and that is being guarded by Helix Security.” There was a pause as Jack shrugged, it wasn’t like they stopped him before. She scoffed and rolled her eye. “You know, the company my _daughter_ , _Lieutenant_ Fareeha Amari, works for?”

“Right, right, Fareeha…” he mumbled. “What’s the chance she’d hurt Uncle Jack?”

“Well, if she knew you were alive after all this time you _might_ get a punch or two in the gut.” She remarked before she took another sip. “Or, a strongly worded lecture.”

“... That’s fair.” He nodded. “She really does take after you, Ana.”

“Thank you, but she definitely has a bit of her father in there too.” She chuckled. “... So what do you need from the watchpoint?”

“I know that in Watchpoint: Safwan, there’s a big supply of biotic resources.” He turned around on his chair.

“That’s in Oman!” She exclaimed, her tea cup almost slammed onto the table. “Jack, we’re fine on the biotic resources but if you wanted them that badly you could just go to Watchpoint: Karaga.” Ana sighed and continued. “Even then, we are fully equipped to make our own.”

“I just think we should get moving,” Jack rested his cup on his knee. “That’s all.”

“Uff,” she scoffed once more. “Our setup here is fine, Jack.” Her shoulders dropped as she folded her arms. “Nobody comes here and Zayed makes sure of that.”

 

They stayed silent as they continued what they were doing. Ana drank her tea and had dates, while Jack stared at the screen again, occasionally spilling tea on his shirt due to his absent-mindedness. Soon, Ana went back to her typical station on the roof.

 

“ _< Ms. Amari!_>” The comm sparked on. It seemed like Zayed needed to say something important as he spoke in Arabic. “< _Ms. Amari, are you there? Over._ >”

“< _Yeah. What’s the problem? Over._ >” She responded as she looked through the telescope.

“< _Err, no, actually._ >” He sounded a little hesitant and shy. “< _Just that I wanted to let you know I’m bringing some Iranian food later. Over._ >”

“< _Ah! You mean with the kebab and everything?!_ >” Ana exclaimed, perhaps the day could take a turn for the better. “< _Mashallah, you’re so sweet, Zayed. Over!_ >”

 

Ana remembered fondly when Zayed came up to her the first day of his recruitment. It wasn’t new for new recruits to try and talk to higher-ups, but it was something unusual. She remembered the joy in his face when he admitted she inspired him and other young Egyptians to join the fight for peace. She remembered how her heart broke as she remembered all the blood on her hands, but how happy he was to fight for justice. He was innocent, she respected that. But he also worked so hard to join Overwatch, he truly had potential. She sighed as she stared at the city from afar, wondering how many ex-Overwatch agents there were in Egypt alone.

 

She stood up and dusted herself off, she better tell Jack about their food coming later. Her steps were so light, you’d never imagine a person was coming down the stairs--in fact, she has scared the old man on multiple occasions due to her soft steps. Once she appeared downstairs, Jack leaned back in his chair as if he was alert.

 

“Zayed is bringing Iranian food.” Ana smiled. “We’ll have kebab, pomegranate rice,” she sighed thinking of the food she hadn’t had in so long. “I can taste it already!”

“He’s a good kid, that one.” Jack folded his arms as he returned a small smile to her. “Haven’t had that in ages…”

“Any updates?” She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned over him to see the screen.

“Yeah, last seen in Russia, apparently…” He paused. “An attack on Volskaya.”

She sighed. “We’re not going to have to go to Russia, are we?”

“No, of course not,” he said. “Just, we might need to be more alert… He’s found us once, he could find us again.”

“Oh, Gabriel…” She let go of Jack’s shoulders and put her hands on her hips. “Well, I wouldn’t be caught dead in the same country twice.” She grinned and joked. Jack rolled his eyes as he let out a small chortle, but he shook his head and kept looking at the screen. “You know…” She stopped herself. Nobody knew, actually. She stopped herself from asking about Gabriel, or even speaking about him. Ana shook her head. “Never mind, it’s not important. I’m just excited we’ll have some meat around here.”

“You can say that again,” he laughed a little. She smiled, as seeing her only friend happy was as good enough for her. “How is the city?”  
“Calm, actually,” she said. “Care to join me upstairs?”

“I think I need that right now.” Jack stood from his seat as Ana motioned for him to follow.

 

The two walked up the stairs and were welcomed by the hot, desert sun that soared far above their heads. It wasn’t too hot out, there was a nice, gentle breeze that also greeted them as they stepped closer to the telescope and the laptop. They took a seat at their places, Ana handled the laptop and Jack would go to the telescope. He peered around, zooming in to places and out to see a larger picture. Ana and Jack made remarks of civilians going about their day, making up stories for what they were doing and jokingly saying that any person could be working for Talon in disguise.

 

Then it happened. The laptop screen went static, it buzzed and let out a sharp note that pierced their ears and a white skull appeared on the screen before them. Ana nudged Jack, to try and get an answer out of him but the two stared and waited for something to happen.

  

_**WE FOUND YOU!** _

 

In big, bold letters, it danced across the screen and repeated several times. Not knowing what else to do, Jack tipped the laptop over the edge of the wall and it crashed onto the ground below them. Dumbfounded, Ana stared at Jack and gave him a small whack on the arm.

 

“Jack, what the hell?!” She exclaimed.

“I didn’t know what to--” He cut himself short and took a quick breath. Suddenly, he started whispering. “Ok, look, just get into position, we might have a big problem on our hands.”

“Well, I’ll say!” She harshly whispered back to him. The two made their way stealthily down the crypt, Ana grabbed her sniper rifle and retreated back to the rooftops and Jack made a run for his pulse-rifle and visor as quick as he could in the neighboring building. He soon took to the crypts below and started surveying the area.

 

The two were now separated, but on high alert looking out for the other. They waited for the next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN. DUN. DUUUNNNNNN!  
> Btw the girl in the purple hijab in one of the chapter 2 illustrations?  
> That was Sombra.


	5. Reunion

Though she only had one eye and a scope, it was all she needed to survey the area from her cozy, rooftop spot. Sure, the heat of the afternoon sun was getting to her and she had now become a wary, sweaty woman looking through the scope of her rifle, but she was damn well situated where she was now. It was the perfect vantage point, but she couldn’t find Jack. She knew he was under the crypts, so all she had to do was show a little faith in her best friend and hope for the best. Yet, it was unbelievable… The scene was so silent, so empty… It was unsettling. For a split moment she thought it was just a stupid prank until she heard the sound of Jack’s pulse-rifle firing off and the distant laugh of a woman. Jack ran up from underneath the crypt and signaled to Ana that he was fine, but she silently hoped he’d stay above ground where she could heal him if necessary. 

 

Suddenly, a great dark cloud of smoke rushed in front of her and a figure emerged, only to jump out of it and land right behind her. Terrified, she grabbed her dart gun and shot it at the man, but he dodged it by the turn of his torso. His metal boots were heavy against the stone bricks, his cloak flowed through the breeze much like a pirate flag did. Gabriel Reyes had never looked more alive, to put it dimly. Ana stood up from her position. She had nowhere else to go and she couldn’t jump from such a great height without hurting herself… She quickly stepped to the side and tried to make a run for the stairs- But it was too late as Gabriel blocked her exit.

 

“Ana,” he began, ever so grim. “Don’t try and run from this again.”

“Excuse me?!” She said, shocked. “Gabriel, the last I saw you--  _ YOU _ ran from  _ ME! _ ” The sniper was now too angry to think of Gabriel as Reaper, in the moment it felt like she was truly Captain Amari once more telling off her friend--no, colleague, that his assets were in the wrong place and the wrong time. “Mister, you--” She quickly looked up and down and stared right into his mask, then spoke with a slight tremble. “You have some explaining to do!”

“I don’t have to explain anything, Ana.” He scoffed. “You left us, then  _ I  _ was left to rot under the rubble of  _ his _ legacy.”

“There you are again with this-- This assumption!” She argued. “We loved you, how could you not see that!  _ Jack _ \--” Ana stopped herself and took a deep breath. “Everyone is in pain, Gabriel. You aren’t the only one-- If you want to off me, then  _ do it. _ But I will  _ never _ go down without a fight.”

“No,” The man shook his head and paused. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

“Are you serious?” She groaned. “Uff, I don’t have time for this… I don’t have time for you anymore,” She poked his chest, intimidating him. “I don’t know what happened to you, but you won’t tell me. You were  _ never _ like this!” She gestured to his entire facade. “I tried so hard to get you two to cooperate, but why wouldn’t you  _ try?! _ ” The old woman began to rant. “Did you think I was just trying to make everything better for  _ fun?! _ You two began affecting EVERYONE, you made me feel like I have to choose sides but now I have no choice because my former best friend is a  _ HOMICIDAL MURDERER!” _

 

 

Nothing said friendship like yelling at an old pal in the sweltering Egyptian sun on top of a tomb. The two bathed in the echo of ‘murderer’ then stood in silence as it faded out. Ana let go of her tension, her shoulders dropped as her head now fell into her hands out of sorrow. Neither of them knew what to do at the moment but felt the guilt and shame that came with confrontation. Ana took a deep breath and stood tall, confident against an old friend.

 

“You want me to understand, Gabriel, but I don’t think  _ you _ understand.” She began. “To start, I felt the pressures of being a soldier. I didn’t want any more blood on my hands and after I saw Amélie for the first time after Gerard’s death I went into hiding.” She was so calm to stand in front of his grim atmosphere, it was like she was battling it with her strength. “Jack wants to find out what happened to the Swiss base and picked up his start as Soldier: 76.” Ana’s eye wandered to the side, she worried Jack was in trouble. “That’s all there is to him.” Then, she crossed her arms and looked directly to the eye holes in his mask. “Reinhardt is wandering around,  _ still _ up to his antics and looking for a fight. Torbjorn is--”

“I don’t  _ care. _ ” He hissed.

“Well, too bad! I’m letting you know that most of your former teammates are alive and well, except…” She went silent. “Nobody knows where Liao is… You didn’t…”

“No.” Blunt as ever. 

“There you have it. None of us will go down without a fight, Gabriel,” Ana stared with her one good eye. “You’ll have to try harder than your spooky smoke tricks.”

“ _ Be. Quiet. _ ” He said, each word of hers planted a seed that grew and manifested into frustration. “I  _ need _ revenge, Ana,” He tore off his mask and leaned closer to her. Once again, she was faced with his otherworldly visage. “ _ This _ is what they did to me!” He said with so much emotion, yet his voice never raised. Ana covered her mouth, afraid for what her brother had become. “It hurts to speak,” He admitted, albeit frustratedly. “It  _ hurts _ to breathe,” he continued. “ _ It hurts to live. _ ”

“Oh, Gabriel…” She said softly. They lived in cruel silence once more, until Ana reached out for his face. Though, she was afraid, she didn’t stop. Even as she hesitated, she still gently touched his cheek and both their faces fell solemn. They stood for a moment as Gabriel secretly cherished the touch of an old friend. “It doesn’t have to  _ be _ like this,” She began. “We can help you if--”

“ _ No! _ ” He cried out. “ _ I’ve had enough help!” _ He slapped her hand away and placed his mask back on. He panicked, she realized this as he turned back to a cloud of smoke and whisked down the stairs of the crypt. Ana ran to follow, though they all came to a stop.

 

Even Jack halted in place as he finally faced the man he once loved, mask-to-mask. Neither could see the other’s eyes or expression, but they stared at each other for a moment nonetheless. Without a second more, the raven took flight. Gabriel Reyes was gone again, nobody knew for how long.

 

The two partners in crime embraced after Jack tossed his visor to the floor. He held her so tightly, she almost couldn’t breathe. She didn’t mind, after all those years of Reinhardt’s hugs she grew an immunity. Ana returned the gesture, to the best of her abilities. She could hear his heart, how fast it beat in fear.

“We need a new hideout.” Ana admitted as she broke the hug to hold onto Jack’s arms. She didn’t know how or where, but she was certain they needed to move… And they had to win him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this!! Make sure to leave a comment if you did and [reblog the post on tumblr!](http://trashyvoid.tumblr.com/post/162176408201/marked-graves-chapter-5-ana-reunites-with-a-long)


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